Pictorial box



l. R. NELSON PICTORIAL BOX May 13, 1958 Filed Feb. l0, 1955 r '1....'. a. .p '1....'...4

United States Patent f' 1 2,834,130 PICTORIAL BOX Ira R. Nelson, Minneapolis, Minn. Application February 10, 1955, Serial No. 487,423 4 Claims. (Cl. 40-7) This invention relates to a pictorial box and more particularly to a box so constructed as to present transparent side areas through which photographs, labels, written matter and the like can be viewed.

In my co-pending application, Serial Number 408,274, and now abandoned, I disclose a label retaining box in which labels and the like can be inserted so as to be readable from both sides of a wall structure and held in sealed relation therewith so as not to be exposed to air and moisture or soil from direct handling. The construction of my prior box is such as to present either a narrow internal spacing between the outer surface of integrally formed walls, or a transparent wall surface formed with a removable transparent snap sheet which is adapted to be pressed into overlying engagement with a label so that it is protected, yet visible from either side of the box wall.

Where it is desired to produce a box of several times the size of an ordinary pill box, it becomes ditlicult, if not impossible, to form a clear and uniform space within the larger wall by extrusion or die casting of the transparent material. Where the material is heated to a plastic condition and it is attempted to form the slit openings by inserting and withdrawing a at core, then the surface becomes marred and cloudy and the larger areas are apt to distort in handling thereof. Where a large transparent snap sheet is employed, the gripping edges are so remote from the center of the wall area that the sheet may bend and become easily dislodged from the large area.

In the present invention, it is an important object to provide a type of box construction which may hold in rmly protected and clearly visible condition such articles as photographs, commercial advertising, instruction sheets and the like while, at the same time, overcoming the above noted objections with respect to my prior patent application, especially as applied to box structures larger than ordinary pill boxes and the like.

lt is another object of the invention to provide a sturdy box of transparent quality which can be constructed with high degree of perfection to provide internal spacing for sheet inserts, yet which will be inexpensive and simple to manufacture.

lt is another object of the invention to provide a twopiece transparent box construction in which the inner wall structure, when mounted within the outer transparent wall structure, is automatically and properly spaced to receive an insert sheet viewable through the outer wall.

l t is a still further object of the invention to provide a device of the class described having provision for protected and visible sheets inserted therein, in which the device is adapted for use as a coin savings bank or the like with a lockable cover affixed thereto.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my invention as applied to a coin savings bank and in which sheet inserts have been placed;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the device taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a segmented vertical section of the box taken on the line 3--3 to show the spacing in the wall structure as well as the lockable cover secured thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the casing alone and before insertion and attachment to the outer casing; and

2,334,130! Patented May 13, 1958 ICC Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragment of a cross section taken through a corner of a modied form of my box construction.

With continued reference to the drawing, my box construction is shown in Fig. 1, and comprises a double interiitting casing structure of a size substantially larger than an ordinary pill box. The particular box shown in Fig. 1 is intended to be used as a coin savings bank, the general volume of which has become more-or-less standardized in the art. It is intended that the particular box of Fig. l be provided with a general rectangular construction in which side Walls 10 and 11 are rectangular and in parallel arrangement while the larger front wall 12 is also rectangular and in spaced parallel relation with the rear Wall 13. The upstanding corners of the general wall construction will, therefore, present vertical edges 14. The box also has a bottom wall 15 and a closure 16 for the top which may be provided with a coin slot 17 when employed as a coin savings bank.

It is further intended that the box construction be provided With means for removably displaying in protected manner a photograph or other sheet insert which shall be visibly presented at a transparent wall area 18. It is understood, of course, that any or all of the various wall areas may be transparent and formed according to my invention so as to provide for the protected insertion of display sheet material.

In the construction of my box, I have devised a means of forming portions thereof separately, then recombining the portions to produce a cheap and eiiicient box of the class described which avoids a number of problems which would be encountered if it were attempted to mold the box unitarily, all as set forth in the preceding portion of this specication.

My box construction has an outer casing indicated generally at 19 in Fig. 2, and this casing is preferably rectangular in construction having the beforementioned rear wall 13, front wall 12, bottom wall 15 and respective side walls 10 and 11. Each of the corners 14 presents a straight and vertical corner, particularly at the inner juncture 20 of the corner 14. The outer casing may be formed with an open top and bottom closure 15, as shown in Fig. 2, and because of the straight Vertical inner corners 20, may be produced in a casting machine having a core or male die member which can be withdrawn after the box is formed in a number of conventional manners well known in the art. It will be noted that the outer box is a unitary structure and that no attempt is made to form large slotted areas during the construction of the outer casing 19.

The inner casing is indicated generally at 21 in Fig. 4 and is of the same general coniiguration as the outer casing 19, but slightly smaller in dimension. In the instant case, the inner casing is providing with slide Walls 22 and 23, and front Wall 24 and rear wall 25. The walls are rectangular in shape and may or may not be constructed of transparent material. Here again, the conguration of the inner casing is such that it may be formed simply and easily in an extrusion or other die process commonly used with plastic material. Since the inner spaced dimension is of constant cross section, there will be no difficulty in forming the inner casing on a die member. The inner casing 21 may or may not be formed with a bottom structure and, in the form shown, the bottom is deleted, the entire box construction relying on the bottom closure 15 which is formed integrally or secured to the outer casing 19, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to maintain the proper clearance between wall structure of the inner casing 21 and the wall structure of outer casing 19, I provide spacer kmeans which will abut between the casing members to form a rigid unit when the casings are combined and which assenso will, at the same time, create a constantly spaced area underlying atransparent wall'of the`out'e`rcasing.` "Thus, in the form shown in Fig. 4, my inner casing structure is provided with integral spacers or ribs 26 which form abutting means which are straight andl vertical inner corners 20, as shown in Fig. 2. Again, because the ribs or abutments 26 are straight and parallel, they can be easily formed simultaneously with the construction of the inner casing 21 and without causing complications in the molding procedure. In this case, it will be noted that the inner casing 21 will be given additional strength by virtue of the rib or abutment spacers 26 at the corner portions indicated. When the inner casing 21 is intertitted with the outer casing 19, spaced clearances ZI'will be established at each of the wall areas. It is understood, of course, that the invention may be applied to merely one wall, in which case it would be necessary to have only one pair of spaced ribs or abutments 26 to estab-v lish a single sheet# inserting space 27. `When the inner casing 21 is positioned within the outerA casing'19, it may be secured in its interlitted relation by means of adhesive cement or by thermo-plastic welding, all as'is Well known in the art.

Where my double box construction is intended to be used asa coin savings bank, I form a latch opening 28 near the top of a wall 23 and a horizontal Vrib or boss 2K9 near the top of wall 22, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A lockable cover 16 is provided with a depending llange 30 which is adapted to interiit within Vthe upper inner periphery of the inner casing 21. A rib or bossr 31 is formed in the outer surface of flange so as lto underlie the rib or boss 29 formed in wall 22. An opening 32 is formed at the opposite side of llange 30 to lslidably receive a latch or detent 33, the outer cammed end 34 of which is adapted toV latch in the opening 28. A rigid block 35 is provided with the necessary guiding and abutting surfaces to permit the latch 33 to slide inwardly and outwardly with a shoulderedarea 3Q abutting thereaganst when the latch is in its outermost extension. An` opening 37 may be formed in the underside of block 35 through which a leaf spring 3bk may extend into end engagementy with al notch 39 formed in the latch member 33, The lower endv of leaf spring 3,8A may be anchoredas at 40 to a portion of therflange 30. An instrument 41 may be providedwith a hooked end 42 capable of beinginserted through the vslot17,to engage a correspondingly hooked innerl por-l tionV 43 sopas to permit retraction of the latchend 34by an authorized person and thereby unlocking the closure to remove thecon'tents of the. box.

An alternate form of corner structure is shownin Fig.

5 where the boss or rib 44 is integrally formedwith any outer casing 45 toprovide thernalrginal spacing between outer transparent wall surfaces' 4 6 and47 Awith respect to 4 the respective wall surfaces48 and `49 of anv inner casing 50, The net effect is the same as inthe previous case and the casingsr, may be constructed with equal ease. The spacer 44 is, however, omitted from Vthe corner Vconstruction of the inner casing 50 but applied to the` outer casingV InA this instance, the v 4 5V to achieve the same purpose. inner casing 5,0, has a regularly formed corner construction 51Vand the spacing abutment 44 is provided with a interiitting of the separate casings tcgrperjnit` insertion of l protected Sheets Which-are intended-'to ,Be viewedthwagh thetransrarent Wall vStructure of thefouter Casina, The. be? Will. 0f.. come, adapt, itself., to retaining'..artil21s Whisk Meals@ maintained out, of Contact with them# tastsdhsstinssn.

it will, of course, be understood that various changes may beN made" in `the wrotin, details," arrangements `and proportions of the parts Without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A box construction for displaying proected sheet inserts, said box construction comprising, an open ended outer walled casing having a uniform cross section and a stiff transparent area in Vat least a part of its wall structure, an open ended inner casing having a uniform cross section and au outer surface adapted to lie inwardly in closely spaced clearance with said stift transparent area to deue a slieetinserting space, and elongate spacers extending endwise of the casings and formed marginally of said space andsnugly litting between said outer casing and said inner casingtc)` maintain the respective casings in rigid combinati-on and in vconstant clearance at the transparent area.

2. Abox construction for displaying protected sheet inserts, s aid box construction comprising, 4an elongate outer casing having'a uniform cross section and rectan gular wall structure with vertical straightinner corners at the juncture of 'the walls, at least one of"said walls being constructed of stiff transparent sheet material, a second smaller casing of similar configuration to said outer casing and having vertical straight Youter corners adapted topclosely interiit with the inner corners of said outer casing, and a pair of elongate andupright abutments spacing a transparent wall from a rectangular wall, surface ofY said inner casing disposed marginally thereof and substantially at, the juncture of inner and outer respective corners to define a: sheet-inserting space, and said abutments being formed integrally ofV one of said casings.

3. A double box construction for displaying protected sheet inserts, said double box comprising, an outerelongate casing having a unitorrn crosssectionand transparentv wall area, an inner elongate. casing having al uniform cross section and an. outer .surface adaptedto lie-` inwardly in closely spaced clearancel with said transparent area of the outer casing to delinea sheet-inserting-space, elongate spacing abutments. formedmarginally and vertically with respect to said sheet-inserting space and snugly fitting between said outer casing and saidinner casingy to maintain the double box in rigid combination and in constant clearance at the transparent area, and a sheeteinsert disposed within the yspaced clearance behind said transparent area whereby said sheet insert will be protected and at :the same time present a visible surface through the transparent area.

4. A double box construction for holding articles such as coins and simultaneously displaying protected sheet inserts, said double box comprising, an open-topped rectangular outer box having a uniform cross section and transparent side wall areas and a bottom closure, said outer box having vertical corner construction, a rectanguiar, inner casing of 'slightlyl smaller and similar conii'guratio'n 'having each end open and dening an encompassed space ofv constant dimension from one end to the other, ysaid'inner casing having straight and ver-tical corner construction, and integrally formed spacing abutments at the corner structure of said inner and outer casings when intertted whereby to establish a protected spaced clearance for removable insertion of a display sheet therein and which will be visible through the transparent wally area of said outer box.

References Cited in thetile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 481,367 Y Mitchell e c Aug.l23, 1892 531,924 Gibson Jan. 1,1895

2,000,419 Sarber May 7, 1935 2,343,008 French" e l i Feb1 2], 1951 Poseen PATENTS- 

